The Measure of a Man
by PolkaDotMama
Summary: Jasper is drawn in by a small tease of skin that keeps his interest in a man he'd normally dismiss outright. Will it keep his interest long enough to get him past his personal bias? OOC, AH, M - SBS contest entry.


**SLASH BACKSLASH ONE-SHOT CONTEST**

**Story Name**: The Measure of a Man  
**Pen name: **PolkaDotMama  
**Pairing: **Jasper/Edward  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to SM. Adult content.

**To see other entries in the "SLASH BACKSLASH" contest, please visit the C2: **http:/www(.)fanfiction(.)net/c2/68069/3/0/1/

**A/N: **Thanks to mcsc2008 for beta'ing and Rhenea5018, whitewave320, and elusiVjacob for pre-reading.

* * *

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

~芸者~

"Are you kidding? The last time we had one of these get-togethers, Nermer bought everyone lap dances." The room burst into laughter as our boss, Saunders, got inappropriate. "The funny thing about it was that Hale was there and played along when this buxom redhead sat in her lap. Right?"

Finishing a sip of sake, Rosalie Hale allowed a gentle smile to slowly spread across her face, despite her distaste for the man. "That I did, Saunders. She had to make a living, and I sure wasn't going to let her babies at home starve," she returned bringing a modicum of levity to the raucous gathering.

We'd had a week packed with meetings as everyone from satellite offices around the country gathered at headquarters. It had been a few years since we'd had the annual meeting at home, and I was thankful for not having to travel far.

"Anyway," Saunders continued, much to my chagrin. _Couldn't the fat ass just shut up?_ "When they got to Whitlock, you should have seen his face. Do you starch your face in the morning when you starch your collars, Jasper?" Of course everyone laughed at that.

_Ha. Ha._

Yes, I was uncomfortable, but not for the reasons everyone around the low dining table thought.

"I bet you washed your hands the second she left, didn't you?" he asked. "Persnickety germaphobe" was whispered under his breath.

"As a matter of fact, Jason, I did. Who knows where her hands had been. If there had been a shower on the facility, I probably would have bathed as well." As expected, that drew the loudest laugh of the night, and I allowed a cocky smirk to lift my cheek. I knew how to play these saps. They were easy really—use a little self-deprecating humor to laugh at myself and all was good. I'd been doing it for nearly eleven years. It didn't even need to be particularly funny.

Just then, the rice paper partition opened, and three lovely geishas walked in carrying sweets for us to eat while the tea ceremony was performed. Silence filled the room, and all hilarity was set aside to give respect to the time-honored tradition. The shorter geishas left while the tallest stayed and elaborately prepared the tea in fluid yet regimented movements. It was fascinating to watch her work, her pale hands moving through the air in such delicate ways.

When the tea was ready, it was served, and the other geishas returned to the room to socialize with the guests. The tall girl sat beside me, refilled my teacup, and then settled in to entertaining the colleagues around me.

She was funny, telling subtle jokes that many of the people didn't quite understand, but they laughed nonetheless. That, in and of itself, made my face flash a wide smile. She even got me to laugh out loud a few times, which was not an easy feat when I was in my work environment.

Although I was good at my job, these people were not privy to the real Jasper. He only came out at night after the Armani suit was hung in the closet, and the imported Italian v-neck sweater was aligned just so with the low slung dark jeans that perfectly set off the calfskin boots. Of course, my typically slicked back curls were released from their binding and shaken about so they framed my face. I was a different man away from the office for a reason.

I was different because, at thirty-three, I was still in the closet at my job.

And I had no immediate plans to come out.

This worked for me. I wasn't involved with anyone, and since my day and nighttime personas didn't mingle in the same circles, I didn't see the need. In fact, if I did see someone from work when I was out, they never recognized me. They'd never imagine that uptight Jasper, who was only concerned with making sound financial decisions, would ever loosen up enough to bring home tricks or fuck with wild abandon in public. I doubt they'd even believe I physically let my hair down.

But it worked for me, and I saw no reason to change.

"You girls go home with a fella if you get a really good tip?" I heard Saunders ask under his breath to the geisha beside me; I wanted to punch him. How had he gotten to be so high up in the company by being such a pig?

She obviously said no, but she did it in a much more polite manner than I would have. There was no blood pouring out of his nose.

I looked at the poor girl with an apologetic eye, and she met mine for a moment longer than was typical. It was at that moment I realized I wasn't looking at a woman at all. The geisha beside me was a man in drag. Really _good_ drag. When I looked at the other geishas, I realized they were all men as well.

All of a sudden, the night became much more interesting. I watched as Mohamed tried to sneak a kiss and as Nermer got a geisha to sit on his lap while he skirted his hand up her thigh. The geishas played their parts well, refusing to be manhandled in a gracious manner. Saunders was the worst, if you asked me, with his lewd remarks about pussy and such, but the geishas were taking it all in stride. I'm sure it wasn't the first time this had happened.

My coworkers had no clue they were coming on to men, and if they did, they would be mortified. I found it wonderfully ironic. Nonetheless, I stopped it with my uptight demeanor and a few well-placed words. The advances stopped, and after the tall geisha stood to refill Hale's tea, she sat on my other side, away from Saunders' dirty mouth.

She started to talk to me. Her name was Momo, and she'd been performing the tea ceremony there for the last five years. As she spoke, I looked her over, paying special attention to her makeup and the thin line of intentionally bare skin left at her hairline. Her lips were full and teeth beautifully white, even against the stark white of her makeup. The black wig came to a feminine point in the front and was festooned with flowers, a few trailing down the left side of her face.

Momo's voice was light and airy with a shyness about it. Most of the men that I knew who dressed in drag were always given away by their voices, but not her. Her voice showed not a hint of masculinity.

When Momo turned to speak with Hale, I saw the most alluring bit of naked skin at the base of her neck in the shape of a W. The points reached her upper back where her ornate, red kimono was purposefully arranged to reveal this most erotic area. I wanted to reach out and caress it, but I resisted.

Saunders smacked my arm, dragging my attention away from the beauty in the silk kimono next to me. "Thinking of getting lucky tonight, Whitlock? Don't get your heart set on that. Then again, the two of you would probably be great together considering how starched and pressed you both are."

I simply gave him a short noise that he mistook as a laugh. It was really more a sound of disgust, but I let the man think what he wanted.

We continued socializing, and all began to leave when Saunders' "old football injury" started bothering him from sitting on the floor too long. It would be good to head home and get out of the suit I'd been wearing for the past fourteen hours.

As I stood to leave, Momo discreetly handed me a card. It was thick stock, white with a rich red ink. It simply said "Momo" on it. She turned it over, and there was her number printed in beautiful calligraphy she had done by hand.

When I looked back up, I saw that we were the only two remaining in the room as she reached out and closed my fingers around her card. She was several inches shorter than me, and I had to look down to meet her eyes.

"This," she gestured to her costume, and then her voice dropped to a rich deep voice that finally betrayed her gender, "This is a job. But I knew you could tell. Gay men can always tell. Call me sometime. I'll take you out for drinks." She reached her hand out to me, and I shook it, feeling the strength of her grip further break the illusion. "My name is Edward." And with that, the mask was back as she giggled femininely with her hand over her mouth and left the room.

I pocketed the card and went home.

~芸者~

When I found the card a few weeks later in my trousers, I brushed my thumb across the number Momo, or Edward, had written.

I would never have imagined being enticed by a guy in drag, but there was no denying the attraction and draw I felt for him dressed as a geisha. I couldn't explain it. There hadn't been an ounce of appeal when I thought Momo was a woman, but the moment I realized she was a man, everything changed.

I wondered what Edward was like.

The men I usually found attractive were more on the butch side, but not too butch: rugby players, footballers, even the occasional hockey player. Of course, I'd been with a ballet dancer, too, but he was all muscle and had _amazing_ flexibility.

Never once had I been with a drag queen or someone so nelly he could pass for a woman so expertly.

Like it or not though, my dick was hard at the thought of the back of Momo's neck and the glimpse of skin that was revealed by the drape of her kimono and the absence of makeup. I had to know what that skin felt like under my lips.

The decision had been made before I was fully aware of what I had done.

"Hello?"

I'd fucking dialed!

"Uhm…." Brilliant Jasper. "Edward. This is Jasper. We met at the Geisha House a few weeks ago. I was with AroCorp."

"Jasper." His voice was low and lilting as it had been before we left the tearoom. "I've been wondering if you'd call. I'm not one to hand my number out to just any Tom or Harry Dick. You ready for me to take you out for that drink?"

"Actually, Edward, I was hoping we might go grab a bite to eat?"

After a few minutes of discussion, we decided to meet just a few blocks from my house at an out of the way pizza place. It was a far cry from the Geisha House.

When I arrived in front of Volturi's Pies, I realized I had no idea what to look for. I hadn't even asked Edward what color hair he had under his black wig. I might be able to pick him out by the shape of his mouth, considering I had stared at it so intently or even the nape of his neck, but other than that, I was at a loss.

Just as I was about to text him and ask, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see a man with creamy, pale skin and rich green eyes. He had a hand painted silk fan opened in front of his face obscuring the rest of his features. I couldn't tell the color of his hair because of the poor lighting.

"Edward?" I asked hesitantly.

With a flourish, the fan was shut and put in the back pocket of his skintight jeans. "In the flesh," he intoned with a wink. "The natural flesh. It's so good to see you again," he spoke as he pulled me in and kissed me on both cheeks, right near the corner of my mouth.

"You, too." I kissed him back. "You didn't have trouble finding me?" I suddenly realized I probably looked different as well.

"I much prefer the curls flowing loose and free. Beyond that, you're still the same man, just a bit more … relaxed." He gestured to the jeans and t-shirt I wore.

"One cannot live on Armani alone," I joked, and he threw his head back in a peal of laughter.

He was certainly a bit more flamboyant then most of the men I'd been with, but I wanted to give him a fair chance.

After we were seated and our order was placed, we sipped on the bottles of beer the server brought us and started to talk. He seemed less demonstrative as he sat, and I was surprised that I couldn't see any of the geisha in him. There were no delicate movements of his wrist or fingers. He _simply _sat and rested his elbows on the table with his folded fingers tucked under his chin. He even had a hint of enticing stubble along his chin and jaw.

His lips were the only place I could possibly see a hint of Momo, but they were much too pale to be hers.

"How long have you been a geisha?" I asked.

"I'm not a real geisha, you know. I'm just a really good imitation as are the other girls at the teahouse. I've been working as a geisha for about eight years now. The nice thing about the work is that we get to socialize and have interesting conversations. I've learned a great deal about many professions this way."

"Is that your full time job?"

"Gracious no," Edward said, placing his fingers on his chest as if my suggestion physically hurt him. "If I had to do that forty hours a week, I'd die. It's just a gig to help me pay off my student loans. During the week, I'm theatre director extraordinaire at Renaissance Academy," he finished with flair.

"Renaissance Academy?"

His voice pitched deep, and I sensed a hint of an accent I couldn't place. "It's the fancy school all the rich people send their kids to in hopes that they'll be amazing artists someday. Truth is, most are wasting their money. Some of these kids have it, others just don't, and no matter how much money they spend on their education, Johnny Dolittle is still going to be greeting people at Walmart." What he said wasn't funny, but the way he said it made me crack up. He sat back in his chair with a smug look on his face and crossed one knee over the other as our pizza was served.

"Tell me what you do, Jasper. You're apparently some sort of hot shot over there at AroCorp." He took a bite of his pizza and some sauce dripped just below his lip. I then watched as his tongue slid out between his flushed lips and he licked it away. Apparently, I got lost in it because he waved his fingers in front of my face and repeated his question.

"Oh, uhm … I deal with the financial end of the business."

"What does AroCorp do?"

"We do a lot. There are many subsidiaries that deal in things from small weapons manufacturing to candy production. It's a lot to keep track of considering we span so many different areas of the marketplace. If you ask me, Aro has his fingers in too many pies. We need to go back to the basics and manufacture medical diagnostic equipment like when we started. We used to be the premiere supplier of any and all things that had to do with blood, from syringes to hemopurifiers. But I'm sure you're not interested in that." I finally stopped myself. Get me on a roll with my job, and I could just keep going.

"So, you do a lot of shit and have a lot of cash that you have to follow, huh?"

I smiled at Edward and how easily he boiled it down. "In a nutshell, yes."

The rest of the meal consisted of typical first date "getting to know you" conversation starters. More important than what was shared was the ease with which it was told. Considering how private I was, by nature, I never once felt threatened or as if Edward was asking for too much information. His laugh was high pitched and infectious, and I heard it often, joining in with my own. After paying the bill, I wasn't ready for the night to be over, so I suggested we take a walk down the street which was now bustling with the energy of the night.

As we passed one of my favorite bars, Edward asked if I wanted to go in for a drink. When we headed for the back bar, I saw the familiar face of Jacob, the bartender who always took care of me, and I quickly handed him my card so he'd start a tab. He knew what I drank and apparently knew Edward's drink of choice as well.

I watched as Edward's hips moved to the music and he sipped his blue drink which was expertly poured in a martini glass. The way he held his glass was refined, and his pinky was automatically extended as he tipped the rim to his mouth. When he set the glass down on the bar, he dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

Jacob was watching Edward and then looked over at me with a questioning look. I just shrugged. There was nothing I could do to explain the attraction I felt at that moment. I was simply drawn to that mouth and his neck.

He had a very long neck, and when we finished our drinks, we headed out to the dance floor where I was able to see just how long when he ripped his tight shirt over his head. I took the v-neck from him and tucked it in my back pocket, not wanting it to cover up his ass. We'd greeted each other in front of Volturi's so quickly I really hadn't had a chance to look him over. Now was my chance.

His body was very lean, which I'm sure helped him maintain a more feminine appearance for his work. I wasn't sure he worked out, but there was some definition along his chest and abs. Long limbs were lifted high above his head as he danced, and when he brought them back down, his shoulders only accentuated his collarbones and neck. When he turned, I saw muscles flex and contract as he moved.

But the sight to behold had to be his ass. With as thin as he was, I expected him to barely have a butt at all. Far from it. His trim waist led my eyes down to full curves that were perfect for me to grab onto as I fucked his pert ass.

I loved how long and lanky he was.

Edward caught me staring at him and backed himself into me. Over his shoulder he said loud enough so I could hear as we danced to the heavy beat, "Go ahead, Jasper. Touch it. I know you want to."

I resisted, watching his ass sway back and forth in front of me. Whether it was because I didn't make a move or because he wanted me to touch him so badly, I'm not sure, but he thrust his hips back twice, and I couldn't keep myself from reaching out and touching his supple ass. I held his hips and stepped up close behind him, close enough to feel the heat radiating off his back. He crossed his arms over his lower stomach and pressed his palms to the back of my hands and swayed with me to the music.

A spotlight flashed across the dance floor, and I saw his hair light up with reds and oranges and golds. He was a redhead. Auburn to be exact. The lighting in the restaurant had been so bad that I couldn't even see the beautiful color of his hair that stuck up in a crazy mess.

And then I saw wisps of auburn hair skirting over that one spot that had been naked when he was Momo.

I pulled one hand from beneath his and trailed it up the center of his back. His free hand flew to the sky, and he started to snap his fingers as my hand continued to climb.

His skin was flawless—so smooth—and I could feel the subtle rise and fall of his spine against my fingertips. I flattened my palm against his shoulder blade and curved around his body.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the feel of him against my skin. I could sense his breaths, his chest expanding, causing the lines created by his ribs to press into my hand. Taking a chance, I smoothed up toward his arm, praying that when I got to his armpit he wouldn't be ticklish. I opened my eyes just as my palm skirted over warm flesh. He wasn't smooth like I expected, and I relished the feel of his soft hair and sensitive skin. Traveling up his arm, I laced my fingers with his the moment I found them and allowed him to take over and move my arm with his.

The way he moved was mesmerizing and erotic. It was as if he knew how to affect my groin with only his hand in the air. I grew hard behind him and released his hand to touch his chest and stomach. The tight muscles on this stomach jumped at my touch.

So he _was_ ticklish.

Edward shifted in my embrace and faced me for a moment before he started to turn with the beat like a whirligig with his arms thrown high. The joy written on his face was priceless as he lost himself in the music.

But that neck teased me with each revolution, and it still hadn't been under my lips yet.

"Edward," I called, stopping him cold. He turned to face me, stalking toward me and resting his arms on my shoulders.

"Yes, Jasper?" he said in a low, seductive tone that stirred deep in my belly.

"Let's get out of here," I suggested, and he raised a brow into a high arch and pursed his lips.

"What do you have in mind, handsome squire?"

"Come home with me."

He simply nodded and took my hand, leading us through the crowded bar and out to the street. On our walk home, we talked about where we grew up. Edward had lived all over the world, but spent a lot of time in Japan, France and Italy.

"New York is what I consider home because my parents always maintained a home there, but we moved wherever my father's job took him. I'm just lucky I was able to travel the world as a young boy and learn many different languages."

"Oh? How many languages do you speak?" I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"I speak seven languages fluently, and I can get by in several countries with what I know."

"Fascinating. I'd love to speak more. I speak English, obviously, Spanish, and French. So basically, I can get by in North America," I reasoned.

Edward laughed and pulled my hand to his mouth to place a soft kiss. "I like the way you think, Jasper."

Just then, we rounded the corner and I saw my house.

"It's that one there." I gestured. "The stucco one."

"Ooooo. That is gor-gee-ous!"

I couldn't help the laugh that burst through. I had hardly looked at my house as more than a place to put my things since I'd moved in, but here, Edward made me look at the exterior and realize what a wonderful home it truly was.

"Well, come on in." As we stepped through the door, I offered Edward a drink, but he declined, so I led him to the den where we continued talking. I watched as he took in the décor, picking individual items up from time to time and appreciating the art on the walls. When he saw my family photos scattered about, he asked more specific questions about my parents and brother, offering more information on his family in return.

This was so unlike my typical modus operandi: from the fact that I asked him out on an actual date to the information sharing that was happening. But there was something about him that was so open, and I found myself giving out things that only close friends knew.

He eased himself down on the leather ottoman of the Eames chair and brought his legs under the seat in such a way that they were pretzeled and crossed at the same time. It was not a move I'd seen many men make, but several women I knew sat like this. I bit my lip at my thought. He was a man, and I needed to stop comparing him to a women even if that's how I initially met him.

I took a seat on the matching recliner, and Edward turned to face me, placing his hands on my knees. We talked about anything and everything—even nothing—until three in the morning when he stood and stretched into a large yawn.

"I really should be getting home. Thank you for such a wonderful evening, Jasper. I had a great time."

I won't lie. I didn't want him to go, but honestly, sleeping with him didn't feel right either. I'd gotten to know more about him in one evening than I knew about six years of tricks combined, and the fact that I'd taken the time to do so, spoke volumes to me.

As we stood outside my front door waiting for the cab he called, I watched how the shadows played across his angular features. "Edward, I was wondering if you'd be interested in going out again?"

Very slowly and in a very sensual manner, he wrapped his long arms around my neck and brought his mouth to my ear to whisper. His breath washed across my skin, bathing it in an excited reaction. "Is tomorrow too soon? I'm off work at eleven and can meet you as soon as Momo is cleaned up."

The cab horn interrupted the moment we were having, and when he leaned back to look at me, I could only nod and say, "Tomorrow." He gave an excited noise before kissing both of my cheeks.

And then he was gone.

He was exhausted the next night, having served a large group that was very demanding. I urged him to stay home when he called me and I heard his weary voice, but he insisted. While we talked on the couch, his head in my lap and my fingers in his hair, it took only moments for Edward to fall asleep after I had turned on some soft music. I urged him awake, offering to drive him home, but he turned over and asked if he could sleep on my couch.

I had no problem with him sleeping at my house, especially considering how tired he was, but I knew how uncomfortable my couch was to sleep on. There was no way I'd allow him to wake up with a crook in his neck.

Gingerly, I tucked my arms under his knees and shoulders and headed toward my bed. When I got about half way there, he woke up, looking left and right as if he were trying to determine where he was. I quickly let him down, and he blinked heavily.

"I was just taking you to my bed. I wanted you to be comfortable," I admitted.

"Oh. Okay," he groggily answered before stepping through the doorway of my room. He readily stripped down to his bikini underwear. "Which side," he asked as he looked back at me.

"I prefer the right if that's okay with you."

He nodded and climbed in the left, falling asleep almost instantaneously. I slipped out of my clothes and joined him.

As I listened to his steady breathing, I watched his lithe form stretched out on my bed and once again got lost in how unusual this was for me. Allowing a guy to sleep over? Okay, sure. It _had_ happened before, but that was after an amazing fuck, not an hour of talking.

But I wrapped Edward up in my arms and breathed in his scent of spiced oranges. He released a contented sigh and reached his hand behind him and settled it on my thigh.

"Good night, Edward," I whispered behind his ear, and I closed my eyes in restful sleep.

He was gone the next morning. My sheets were cold and smoothed where he had been, and I rolled to my back with a groan. I was studying the irregular shapes on the ceiling when my phone rang.

It was my brother Peter, and he could tell immediately that something was bothering me. Call it the joy of having a twin, or the curse, but it never failed that he called when I needed him, like it or not. When I described Edward to him, minus the persona of Momo, he was surprised, to say the least. Then I told him about her, and he became utterly silent.

"Peter?" I checked that he was still there, and I heard him sigh. "Come on, Peter, what?"

"Jasper, I just don't see this working out. I know you well enough to know that any sort of flamboyance he shows out in public is going to drive you bonkers." He took a deep breath, and my brows bunched together. "You said he totally fooled every one of your coworkers? Even Hale? A woman can usually tell that sort of thing right away. He must be really good, but you've always gone for very straight acting guys. He's just not your type."

We spoke a while longer before hanging up. I didn't stop thinking about our conversation though. I couldn't stop thinking about Edward either. In the end, seeing him won out over what "my type" supposedly was.

And it won out day after day.

It won out when I finally brushed my lips against his oh-so-soft mouth and tasted him through the fruity tang of his chewing gum.

It won out when we went dancing and all attention was drawn to us.

It won out when we sat at a restaurant and his laughter soared across the room, encouraging stares and whispers.

None of that mattered as I took him home three months after our first date and pressed him into my bed for the first time.

None of that mattered as I devoured his mouth, and he returned my kisses with equal fervor.

None of that mattered as our clothes were thrown to the floor, and I saw his naked, pale flesh beneath me for the first time.

Watching the entire time, I trailed a finger down his chest, circling his pale pink nipples until they responded to my touch. His eyes fluttered shut, and I smiled at the delicate movement. Trying to avoid where he was ticklish, I traced his lightly muscled abdomen, thumbing over his belly button. As I moved lower, his stomach quivered so I moved quicker until my fingers hit the neatly trimmed nest above his cock.

My mouth followed this same path, and by the time I reached his groin, his cock was hovering above his belly; thick and long and perfectly straight. He was absolutely beautiful.

Placing my hand behind a knee, I pulled it up and started to kiss his thigh, noticing that he was naturally quite smooth. I allowed my lips a moment to play across the light fuzz that was there as I kissed and sucked on his inner thigh. When I peeked up at him, he had his head turned to the side, and he was licking the sensitive skin on the inside of his arm. My tongue imitated the same movements as his and once he realized this he looked at me and smiled.

"That's amazing, Jasper. I never expected you to be so tender."

"Oh?"

He smirked and pulled himself up to his bent elbows. "No," he stated.

"I'm not only about sweet touches, Edward. Believe me," I teased. "Just let me get warmed up."

Slipping my tongue between his foreskin and the head of his cock, I experimentally tested how sensitive he was. I wasn't disappointed. He fell back to the bed with a heartfelt cry of pleasure. His long thin arms crossed above his head, and he grasped onto the slats of my headboard when I slipped his entire length in my mouth and began bobbing my head.

I saw his hipbones move as he tried hard not to thrust, but I wasn't an amateur. I encouraged him to drive into my mouth when I slid my fingers under his ass and lifted. He readily took over, pushing hard and deep down my throat. When I needed a breather, I wrapped my fingers around his base and slid my lips up him, sucking on his foreskin that slipped past the head when I stroked up. He gasped when I slid my tongue to tease his frenulum. Soon, I was being dragged up his body, and his tongue was in my mouth again.

"Jasper, I need you. Please fuck me?" he begged against my mouth. After tasting his cock, the sweetness of the chocolate he ate after dinner was so much more powerful. It made me want to keep kissing his full lips, but he wanted me.

Sitting back on my heels, I stroked myself, making sure I was completely ready for him. He moved, kneeling before me and started to suck me past those beautiful lips. Inside his mouth was heaven. It was warm and wet, and the way his tongue slid around on the underside of my cock had me begging him to stop so I didn't come in his mouth. I wanted to come in his ass and only his ass at the moment.

Edward took it upon himself to open my bedside table and easily found everything we'd need. The manner in which he opened the condom wrapper was even seductive. His eyes were trained on mine as his nimble fingers tore the foil packet and pulled the micro thin condom out. As he rolled it down my length, he kissed along my jaw, whispering dirty things to me as he moved. My cock jumped at his words so juxtaposed to the graceful man before me.

The moment the condom was on, I pressed him into the bed with my hands on his shoulders and brought his knees to meet his chest. I kissed down the back of both thighs, biting as soon as I got to his full ass.

"There you go, Jasper. You know what you want."

I certainly did, and as I spread his cheeks with my thumbs, I saw his treasure. Ever so lightly, I tasted his tight pucker and felt his muscles respond before he moaned with pleasure. With long, smooth strokes, I lavished him with attention and sensed his muscles submit, readying the way for my thumb.

Pressing in slowly, I watched Edward's face carefully as I entered his tight rosebud. I was surprised at how he responded to my touch, quickly allowing me to replace my thumb with two fingers and then three. Slowly, I lowered his feet back to the bed so he could fuck himself on my hand while I lubed my dick.

He looked at me with rich, green eyes, and I knew he was ready for me, so I replaced my fingers with my cock. Edward's body accepted it easily, despite my size, and we found a rhythm that we both were moaning to.

Both of us were enjoying this, but I was ready to take it up a notch. I looked down at Edward, and when he opened his eyes, he traced my cheekbone with his fingers. I watched as he relished in the ride on my cock, and I waited for a sign.

His fingers gripped my forearms, his nails digging into my flesh, and his neck extended, teasing me with that long line. Suddenly, Edward looked back at me, bit his lip, and gave a quick nod.

I took it for what it was and began driving hard and fast into him. Our slapping flesh sounded in the room, adding to the moans he couldn't contain. His breathing started to become even more labored, and I sensed he was close, so I pulled back for a moment, easing into slow, languid thrusts.

Edward pulled me down, frantically kissing my mouth, encouraging my hips to drive back into him at a faster pace.

"Harder. Fuck me harder, Jasper, but not like this," he begged, causing me to stop and pull back. He slid off my cock and twisted his torso in a fluid motion before his hips and legs followed. I kneed his thighs apart and teased his hole with the head of my cock. He whimpered, so I gave him an inch or two.

Whipping his head around, green eyes met mine, and I saw the feisty redhead that had always eluded me appear. He impaled himself on my dick and began fucking himself with untamed abandon.

It took me a few moments to recover, but as soon as I did, I was giving him exactly what he wanted. And he was unwittingly giving me precisely what I wanted.

That unspoiled section at the nape of his neck.

Naked.

So beautiful.

I reached for it, tracing the W that had been there the night we met. He turned around and met my eye, knowing exactly what I was doing. He smirked before he turned back.

It was the first time I'd touched that spot.

I'd dreamed of this moment since that first night, but finally, I was brushing my thumb over his perfect skin.

I slowed my movements so I could lean over his back, resting against his warm skin. My arms wrapped around his narrow waist and chest, and I trailed my eager hands over his flesh.

Closing my eyes, I sensed his back with my lips, tasting his skin simply by breathing though my mouth. When I got to his neck, I slowed, following the pattern his geisha makeup never touched. I covered every inch with my mouth before I finally allowed my tongue to seek out and taste the forbidden flesh.

It was astounding.

My palms slid down his chest and abs, over his thighs, teasing his balls, and then finally I held his hard cock in my hand. I traced his thick length and started to thrust into his sweet ass. As my hips sped up, I lifted myself off his back and began fucking him hard.

Edward cried out, and I felt his cock and ass spasm as he came in my hand. Slowing my hips, I closed my eyes to feel every muscle contraction. He shuddered, jerking his hips uncontrollably, and then his body eventually settled. I brought my hand to my lips and tasted him, looking at how he'd painted my fingers.

As my hips sped once again, I watched myself paint a W on his neck and upper back with his come. The thick white line only added to my desire, and I could picture Momo.

_Her hair is ornately decorated with little orange flowers trailing against her cheek. The sweet smell of her makeup hovers in the air. Her kimono is thrown past her hips, and I'm fucking Momo's tight ass._

My orgasm, thankfully, pulled me away from my fantasy, and I trembled as I collapsed against Edward's back, pushing him to his stomach. Resting my cheek on his shoulder, I was baffled at what just happened as I tried to regain my strength enough to throw away my condom.

"Are you okay, Jasper?"

I just stared at his neck where his hair touched his fair skin. I didn't know how to answer. Eventually, I nodded. I reached for a tissue beside the bed and wiped away the come so I could play with the dark hair that skirted along my favorite skin.

My dick began to soften inside of him, and I was forced to get up. Edward joined me in the bathroom, and we cleaned each other up. He could sense that I was pensive and didn't engage me in conversation, only kisses. When we climbed back in bed, he allowed me to curl into him and rest my head against his chest. I soothed myself to sleep by caressing his smooth body.

~芸者~

Over a week went by before I saw him again. I blamed it on work, which wasn't entirely false. We did, however, continue to talk on the phone each night. His voice comforted me with his high-pitched laugh that was in direct contrast with the deep, rich speaking voice he often used.

I asked myself many questions—questions that Peter started to ask but that I continued.

_What is it about Edward that makes me so conflicted?_

Eventually, I called my brother for help. He could tell I was worried and questioning many things. We talked for a long time, and I told him nearly everything about Edward. Peter could tell I had fallen for Edward … that I loved him.

That's what scared me the most.

"Why would that scare you the most," my brother asked.

"Because he's not at all who I imagined I'd be with. And what does that say about me?" I wondered aloud.

"I don't know, Jay. I guess that you love yourself a huge nelly queen." He laughed.

I let out a disgusted breath.

"Hey. Jasper, this doesn't mean you're getting soft, ya know?"

I shook my head, but realized he couldn't see me. "Are you sure?" I thought about how quickly imagining fucking Momo brought me to the pinnacle, and I let out a groan.

"Stop it. Just stop it," my brother demanded. "Edward is a man whether he's a leather daddy or dresses in drag. He has a dick and balls and an ass that you apparently enjoyed fucking, so knock it off. Do _not_ take his man card away from him because he's swishy from time to time, okay?"

I was silent, taking in everything my wise brother said.

Very softly, he continued. "You're both gay men. Men! You certainly wouldn't like it if you were outright dismissed because you were too masculine. Why are you discriminating?"

I had no answer for that. He took my silence as what it was; I was thinking.

"Jasper, there are things about Edward that you like, and some of those things that you've mentioned to me are things that some would consider very effeminate, whatever that is. You've talked about his grace, his dancing, and even his infectious laugh. I know he's different than other guys you've dated, but maybe that's a good thing," he offered before hanging up and leaving me to my thoughts.

I thought for a week.

When Edward would call, I ignored the call and sent a message to him from my work email letting him know work got hectic. I was sure he didn't believe me. He stopped leaving his messages on my voicemail with his animated voice and resorted to emailing me. He did use an inordinate amount of emoticons in his text though. That made me smile each and every time. Even in his text, I could feel his flamboyance, and it made me happy.

Edward had been busy working, too. I showed up opening night to the ornate theatre at Renaissance Academy to watch his students perform _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. What he was able to do, molding those children into vessels that could aid the entire audience's understanding of Shakespeare, was astounding. I was more than pleased to see that the fairies were played by boys whom Edward must have had a hard time convincing to embrace their roles, based on the reaction of one after the final curtain fell and he was greeted by his parents. But Edward had done it, and the boys had acted beautifully and nimbly.

"Jasper?" I heard behind me and turned to see his gorgeous face and refined features.

"Edward." I took him in my arms, crushing him to my chest before I kissed each corner of his mouth. "The play was phenomenal," I said with excitement.

"Thank you. I had … no idea that you'd come." His voice was low and controlled … flat.

I nodded and studied my shoe. "Look, I—"

"Not here, Jasper. But will you go out with me for a drink after this, or even some food. I'm so hungry. I can never eat before these things because I get so nervous."

"Sure." I nodded and smiled at him. "How long do you need?"

Thirty minutes later, we were being seated at a diner that served breakfast around-the-clock. Edward wanted eggs and sausage. I saw several freshly scrubbed faces of actors sitting with their families nearby, and Edward greeted them with a quick wave. Just as I was taking my first bite, I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder.

I turned to see Saunders studying me, and I sensed all the blood leave my face.

"Whitlock? How do you know this fairy?" he gestured toward Edward who cocked his head looking at Saunders with challenge.

"How do _you_ know _Edward_?" I asked, hoping to avoid finding the right noun to describe our relationship.

"My son acted in his play this evening. This fruit made him dress as a fairy." He pointed at Edward.

"He did a wonderful job then. I was just telling Edward how he helped those boys really delve into their roles. Congratulations on having such a talented son," I offered, and Saunders shook my extended hand with confusion. He returned to his family, and I saw the pride on Edward's face.

"Honestly. They did a great job, and there was no way I wasn't going to let him know that, especially since his son played his role as a fairy so expertly."

Edward's laugh overtook the restaurant, drawing nearly every eye, and I joined in with my hearty chuckle playing bass to his falsetto. Saunders scowled.

After that evening, I poured everything I had into my relationship with Edward. Soon, I was finding myself saying "my boyfriend" or "my lover" to describe him. Nouns were no longer hard to find. More recently, I had been saying "my partner."

But I was still in the closet at work and had no desire to remedy that situation. Occasionally, I'd wear my hair loose at work and even opted to dress more casually. These were small changes that my friends wouldn't have noticed, but that my coworkers paid great attention to. Eventually, they realized I wasn't as "starched" as they had thought. Saunders never said a thing to anyone, possibly because he was afraid that it would come out that his son had played a fairy in a school play. No matter. I just went on with my work-life as I always had, keeping a tight rein on the financial wellness of the company.

Nearly a year after I'd met Edward, we decided to buy a house together. It was quick, I realized, but it was right.

At our favorite bar, Jacob, the bartender, no longer gave me questioning looks when I'd come in with Edward. Now, he talked to us like old friends and joined in when Edward laughed. From time to time, when Edward and I would get lost in each other, I'd catch Jacob looking at us with longing. What we had was palpable.

Dancing had become a favorite past time of ours. I loved watching Edward's fluid movements on the dance floor and the way he seduced me with his delicate arms. The way his hips moved in tight but suggestive circles always seemed to draw me in.

Occasionally, we'd be out at a restaurant or shop, and he'd do or say something in such an effeminate way that I'd flush with embarrassment. But that was my issue. Edward never had a problem being who he was. "I'm your nelly bottom, and you fucking love me for it."

He was right.

It had taken me a long time to get there, but I did. I couldn't imagine a butch Edward, nor would I want to. He was just who he was supposed to be, and I was lucky to have him.

My fantasy of fucking Momo never left me though, and I'm sure Edward knew about it, especially when I traced that naked W on his neck and upper back.

On our one-year anniversary, Edward had to work at the teahouse. He'd tried to get the night off, and I reluctantly let him go with a kiss before settling into a movie. About an hour later, the doorbell rang … at the climax of the movie, of course. I hit pause and headed for the front door.

Behind the sturdy wood was the most delicate flower I'd ever seen. Momo stood there wearing her orange and yellow kimono. My mouth dropped open as I stood aside and invited her in. She bowed and walked in, dropping her arms to her side. I saw a hand-painted scene on the silk of a sailboat at sunset with pinks and purples spanning her thighs. A red obi was tied at her waist.

I was speechless.

In a high pitched, fluid voice Momo asked, "Am I what you desire on your anniversary?"

"You're everything I desire and more," I said, pulling her into my arms.

Leading her to the bedroom, I was nervous and unsure so she took over, removing her zori and tabi to reveal her naked feet. She also removed her obi, carefully laying it over the padded bench at the foot of the bed. I stood there and simply watched as she sat on the bed, positioning herself in the center. This was her most expensive kimono, and I was concerned for the silk. When I voiced my worry, she dismissed me.

"Only the best for you, Jasper."

I laid her back, kissing her red mouth, not caring if her red lipstick stained my lips. I had nothing to worry about. The orange and red flowers in her hair cascaded down her neck, and I moved them aside as I kissed her made-up skin. What I really wanted was the naked skin, and she knew.

She sat up and turned, kneeling in front of me to reveal the W on her neck and upper back.

It was exquisite. Her pale skin looking tanned next to the white makeup. I kissed her naked flesh. It was pristine.

Momo lifted her kimono as I lavished her neck with attention, and as she moved to all fours, the illusion was broken.

Edward was there with his beautiful ass and his gorgeous dick that I now had in my hands. He was all man, whether he dressed as Momo or not.

I quickly sheathed myself and slicked my cock with lube, so anxious to be inside of Momo.

Edward disappeared as Momo sat on my cock. Her hand had slid beneath her kimono, and she was touching herself.

I thrust into her, fucking her tight ass and kissing her neck. My hands moved to her chest, and I thumbed over where I hoped her nipples were. I found them, and she pushed into my hands.

In her feminine voice, she begged me. "Harder. Keep filling me. Only you."

We came together, and Momo excused herself after another passionate kiss.

I waited for many, many minutes before Edward returned to me. He climbed on top of me, nude and beautiful, smelling of soap and shampoo.

"I love you, Edward."

"Mmm, Jasper. I love you."

He'd never allowed any man to be with Momo, he later told me. I was the only one. I'm sure he didn't appreciate how much that meant to me, but it spoke volumes about how he felt about me. I felt just as strongly about him.

~芸者~

Nearly two years later, I took Edward to an office party as my date. He didn't come as Momo or any other persona. He came as Edward. And he was Edward at the party, laughing his infectious laugh, dancing with his arms thrown in the air, moving his body in fluid and elegant ways.

I still loved those things about him and no longer felt self-conscious when people would stare.

At the party, Edward respected that I wasn't out yet and told people he was my long time friend. I didn't like it. When he reintroduced himself to Saunders with the same line, I stood next to him and placed my palm on the small of his back.

"You brought quite a queer to the party, didn't ya Jasper." I looked at Saunders then Edward and made a decision. I'd finally found my reason.

"Yes. I certainly did. Us queers have to stick together. Don't we, Edward?" I drew him into my arms and placed a searing kiss on his tender lips.

I don't know what Saunders did or said. I didn't care.

The world melted away as I kissed my Edward.

My Momo.

My everything.

* * *

Momo – Peach

芸者- Geisha

Thanks for reading.


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